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Product Description

Rest seems elusive in our time-pressed, stress-inducing society. How can we bring peace to our souls? By Finding Spiritual Whitespace, says Bonnie Gray. Taking you on her "messy" journey through anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia, she shares practical steps, biblical insights, and thought-provoking prompts to guide you as you make room in your heart for God---and relax in his presence. 224 pages, softcover, Revell.

Publisher's Description

Move beyond Coping and Surviving to a Rejuvenating Place of Soul Rest

How many of us find ourselves exhausted, running on empty with no time for rest, no time for ourselves, no time for God? Bonnie Gray knows exactly what that's like. On the brink of fulfilling a lifelong dream, Bonnie's plans suddenly went off script. Her life shattered into a debilitating journey through anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. But as she struggled to make sense of it all, she made an important discovery: we all need spiritual whitespace.

Spiritual whitespace makes room--room in one's heart for a deep relationship with God, room in one's life for rest, room in one's soul for rejuvenation. With soul-stirring vulnerability and heartbreaking honesty, Bonnie takes readers on a personal journey to feed their souls and uncover the deeper story of rest. Lyrical writing draws readers into Gray's intimate journey through overwhelming stress to find God in a broken story and celebrate the beauty of faith.

Guided by biblical encouragement and thought-provoking prompts, Gray shows readers how to create space in the everyday for God, refreshment, and faith. She also offers practical steps and insights for making spiritual whitespace a reality, right in the midst of the stress-frayed stories in every season of life.

"We live in a culture that brags and boasts about being busy. Into that reality steps Bonnie with a new idea. Whitespace is an important concept and Bonnie has captured it perfectly. If you're exhausted with being exhausted, read this book. If you feel too busy to read this book, then that's probably the best sign of all that you need it."--from the foreword by Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Christians Like

Author Bio

Bonnie Gray is the soulful writer behind Faith Barista, serving up shots of faith for everyday life. She is a featured contributor for DaySpring (in)courage and her work is also nationally syndicated on Crosswalk.com. After graduating from UCLA, Bonnie served as a missionary, ministry entrepreneur, and Silicon Valley high-tech professional. She lives in Northern California with her husband, Eric, and their two sons, and blogs about her fascination with the challenge of keeping faith hot and fresh in the daily grind at www.faithbarista.com

This book was hard for me to read, I could only read in small chunks. This book reads like Bonnie is drinking coffee with you at the kitchen table while Jesus whispers "You are my princess and I love you."

This opinion is my own, while part of the book launch team I bought my own book.

Finding Spiritual Whitespace is a beautiful, heart wrenching story about one woman's journey to rest through PTSD. As someone who has struggled with anxiety I could relate. As someone who survived her parent's divorce I could relate. As a woman trying to make sense of my past I could relate. As someone longing to understand the fullness of God's love for me I could relate. I found this book incredibly relatable and also incredibly hopeful. Because as I saw the hope and trust and faith in Bonnie's story I was more able to see it in mine.

I wasn't confident that I needed Spiritual Whitespace when I picked up this book but I was surprisingly wrong. Reading this book agreed with my soul from the moment I opened its pages. So many of Bonnie Gray's words resonated with me on a journey of rest I believed I was already pursuing. At the heart of this book, I unexpectedly found myself awakened to my innermost self along with some clutter I was pretending didn't exist. The author of this book cultivates an environment that encourages us to stop the rat race and find true soul rest. "Whitespace is a movement to make the radical choice to leave the louder clamoring voices, in order to follow the one, quite voice inside." Whether rest is something your soul desperately needs or rest is something you confidently believe to be implemented in your life, this book is a must read! Although I thought rest was something I pursued at every moment possible, Spiritual Whitespace has awakened my soul to new rest where I invite God into every area of my life, unguarded.

Whitespace, what is she referring to? It's the space on a page left unmarked. -- When a writer writes, when think it is so easy for them. It should be right? Sometimes no. Bonnie suffers from PTSD, and it gripped her so tightly, that she was unable to continue. Why? That was her question. Why God?

Bonnie's story was so just completely sad, I want to give her a big hug and tell her our God is so amazing to bring her to where she is today and He has so many amazing ways He is going to use her, wow. I can't even begin to imagine.

I really think this book will be useful for so many people. At the end the Whitespace Challenge is so neat. DO IT!!!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

The self-reflection that led to this guide to self-discovery for the reader, is potentially revealing of the Authoress.

Just as the Authoress did not want to reveal to herself or the reading audience the unexpected depths of her discoveries, you the chooser may also find unexpected terrain travel on the dual journeys of self-revelation and buried memories.

The Authoress felt â€˜calledâ€˜, â€˜led' to share what is intensely private and intimate to her, by publishing this roadmap of her pilgrimage to self.

What each reader will find on the journey, using Bonnie Grey's stepping stones remains to be seen by the individual bold enough to try.

But just as with a favorite personal space, a way you physically travel, each repetition has a way to nourish and potentially surprise you. This reminds me of a Saint Ignatius Retreat, which is several intensities beyond this work, but has the intent to release the â€˜known' surprises waiting within the explorer. What is more ancient, and more leading edge than learning to listen to oneself by following the fruitful journey of another? Read, and embrace what moves your interest. Following the thought in flight, find the answer to why, that phrase causes a power surge, and what that means for you. A good book to group rotate-it's a good process to revisit when the copy finally gets back to you.